Sweeney gets start at DH again in place of Griffey

Facing three right-handed pitchers in a row again for the second straight series, Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu has opted to use Mike Sweeney at designated hitter this afternoon when Seattle faces Tampa Bay.

Mike Sweeney

Sweeney normally starts only against left-handed pitchers, but with Griffey scuffling with a .200 batting average and Sweeney coming off a game in which he hit his first home run of the season, the veteran right-hander is back in the lineup today in the clean-up spot.

This will be the third straight game that Griffey didn’t start. He was used as a late-inning pinch hitter the last two games in Baltimore, which is more in line with the role many envisioned for the 40-year-old when he re-signed with Seattle this year.

Neither Sweeney or Griffey has produced well so far this season, but Sweeney (.189 batting average with a .297 slugging percentage in 37 at-bats) did hit the first home run for a Mariners’ designated hitter this season in Thursday’s 6-5 loss at Baltimore.

It’ll be Doug Fister (2-1, 1.71 ERA) on the mound for Seattle against Tampa’s Wade Davis (3-2, 3.18) in the 4:10 p.m. matchup on FSN.

Franklin Gutierrez, who sat out the last two games to rest a sore back, is starting in center field.

Tampa Bay not only has the best record in baseball at 24-10, but also the best run-differential at plus 85 (having scored 189 while giving up 104), so the 13-21 Mariners (minus 22 run differential) have their hands full in trying to turn around their recent woes.

Tampa outscored Seattle 21-5 last week in sweeping a three-game series at Safeco Field.